"On a beautiful Sunday morning, I was out of town for a business meeting in the city of Santa Barbara, California, an affluent area where the rich and famous live. Demographically, it isn't exactly Wakanda. Before getting on the 101 Freeway for the long drive back to Los Angeles, I pulled into a gas station to fill up.
"Just as I got out of my car, I heard a booming male voice shout, "Hey, want a banana?" My head jerked up to locate the racist. Turns out the man who bellowed was standing next to his SUV, tailgate open, where I saw a big bag of bananas. The man was talking to a homeless guy picking through trash in a nearby garbage can. Both the SUV driver and the homeless man were white.
"Once I put all this together, I smiled and said to the driver: "Hey, I thought you were talking to me! I was about to accuse you of systemic racism." The driver started laughing. Then I said: "I think I'm still going to accuse you of systemic racism. How come the only person you offered a banana to is white? What about me?" Now the homeless man started laughing. Then I said, "And I don't even like bananas." Both were now laughing, and the homeless guy said, "Man, you are so funny." I responded: "Thanks. I'm here all week. Two drink minimum. Don't forget to throw something in my tip jar." At this point, both practically doubled over in laughter. As I drove away, I said to myself: "Did I just ask a homeless man to leave me a tip? Elder, you're going to burn in hell."
"How wrong my immediate assumption had turned out to be." . . .
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